South Cork Schools Encouraged to Sign Up for Ireland’s Largest Enterprise Programme

Cork County Council’s Local Enterprise Office South Cork is inviting schools to sign up for this year’s Student Enterprise Programme.  Now in its 21st year, over 300,000 students have taken part in Ireland’s largest enterprise programme for second level students, learning how to create a business idea, before starting and growing their business. 

Around 25,000 students from almost 500 schools across the country will compete in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories.  Participants will learn how to create and run their own business, gaining key skills along the way such as ideation, marketing, finance and sales.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Danny Collins welcomed the return of the programme highlighting how, “The Student Enterprise Programme helps foster entrepreneurship in students and gives them the opportunity to acquire important skills that they can bring with them into later life.  Our LEO South Cork has enjoyed great success over the years, winning first prize in the My Entrepreneurial Journey competition and a Special Merit in the Junior Category last year. I look forward to seeing even more innovative and exciting ideas from the students this year and wish them the very best of luck in the competition.”

The programme is run through the Local Enterprise Office network, supported by Enterprise Ireland and local authorities. Local co-ordinators in each area support teachers and students through the year of the programme, which is open to all secondary school students from 1st year through to 6th year. Recent ambassadors for the programme have included Derval O’Rourke, Josh Van Der Flier and Limerick All-Ireland winner Sean Finn.  

Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey added, “Cork County Council’s South Cork Enterprise Office look forward to building further on this success by continuing to support schools and students to explore their entrepreneurial spirit and showcase some innovative businesses ideas over the coming year. With lots of new competitions and new schools coming on-board, it promises to be an exciting year for the programme within South Cork with a number of face-to-face events planned.”   

The Student Enterprise Programme now offers a new range of online resources for students and teachers on their website at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will also feature regular blogs.